The Princess of the Wild
by pinkrose064
Summary: 100 years after BoTW, Hyrule has been restored to its former glory. Purah comes to the castle to attend a ceremony to be held on the current Princess Zelda's 17th birthday. By her side is Lennia, an energetic and adventurous Hylian girl who can talk to horses and was raised by Purah. But who is she really? And when Ganondorf reappears, can she and the stablehand, Link rescue Zelda?
1. Chapter 1

Purah held on for dear life as she clung to the mane of the horse that had been riding at a steady gallop since leaving the stable that morning, and now was shooting like a bullet across the plains of Hyrule Field. For goodness sake's! She was 106 years old... well, actually, much, much older, since she'd accidentally reverted herself back to a child a century ago, but the point was that she was too old for this!

That fact seemed to do nothing to deter the bright-eyed teenaged girl who held the reins. Sixteen-year-old Lennia seemed to be in heaven from the moment she'd spurred her horse onward. Suddenly, both to Purah's disgruntlement and relief, the horse slowed itself to a walk before stopping. Lennia slipped off of the horse's back and stroked the mare's muzzle. "Good girl. Why don't you take a few minutes to graze? I bet you're hungry after that long ride." She turned and helped Purah off the horse.

"What the?!" Purah exclaimed as she took in their surroundings, finally able to see clearly again, "This is the western side of Hyrule Field! Lennia, you reckless child! You've overshot! The capital is at least ten miles northeast of here!"

"I didn't overshoot, Auntie Purah." Lennia said with a smile. "I came to this spot on purpose. I want to pick a bouquet of Silent Princesses to give to Princess Zelda for her birthday tomorrow. It's not good to show up empty-handed, and Princesses can't be found in a shop. They can't be grown domestically after all." She was referring to the flower, not the Princess Zelda, but Purah couldn't help but think that in that moment, Lennia had strangely reminded her of the Princess Zelda from a century earlier.

The old Sheikah sighed in annoyance as she plopped on the ground. "Fine, but don't go too far. It's dangerous out here in the wild."

Lennia rolled her eyes, "According to you, the only place that _isn't_ dangerous is the lab." Considering the way some of Purah's experiments turned out, whether or not the lab was safe was debatable in her opinion.

"I mean it, Lennia!" Purah exclaimed in frustration.

"I know, I know..." The teenager replied before wandering off to search for her flowers.

Purah sighed. She should've gotten somebody from the clan to accompany the girl in her place, because no Sheikah, no matter how fast, could keep up with Lennia's riding. That girl had a fondness for the fastest horses she could find. How long could she be expected to keep doing this? An old woman was hardly capable of offering protection to an adventurous teenaged girl... If the treacherous Yiga were to attack, the both of them would be done for.

ゼルダ

A short while later, Lennia smiled to herself as she carefully stored away the last of the flowers she would need. She quietly walked up to the nearby park, which had been restored to the beauty it had held before the Great Calamity two centuries prior. Looking into the distance, she could see Mt. Lanayru, where the Spring of Wisdom was said to reside. On one of her more daring—and admittedly—dangerous exploits, Lennia had attempted to approach the mountain from a hidden path near Kakariko Village. She had nearly made it to the base when she had spotted a Lynel and made a hasty retreat before it could spot her and her horse. Purah had scolded her up and down when she found out, and Lennia had been more apt to heed the woman after that. She had never planned on trying to traverse the mountain to begin with, of course. It was forbidden for anyone less than seventeen years of age to do so. What bothered her, and her reason for being more mindful of Purah in the aftermath, was the presence of the Lynel that she had spotted. The Calamity was defeated one-hundred years ago, right? So why was a creature like _that_ stalking around near the base of the mountain? It was disturbing and frightful, and gave Lennia reason to consider why Purah was so adamant regarding the dangers of the outside world.

The snort of a horse broke through her thoughts and she turned in the direction it came from, just managing to stop herself from gasping as she saw a beautiful, snow white mare grazing nearby. She had heard of such a thing before: That a pure-white horse, descended from the horse belonging to Princess Zelda two centuries prior, wandered in this area and grazed. She had never expected the rumors to be true, and she couldn't help but be awestruck by the mare's beauty. She bit her lip. According to the rumors, the horse was also incredibly skittish and would run the moment it noticed a Hylian. Fortunately, she had something on her side that could help with that.

The mare looked up as an apple softly rolled toward it. "Hey there." The horse looked further up at where Lennia was kneeling a short distance away, a second apple in her hand and gentle smile on her face. "That apple is for you. You can have this one too, if you want. But you'll have to come to me to get it. Don't worry, I won't try to come any closer on my own." The mare chuffed in consideration and then ate the first apple before cautiously approaching Lennia to eat the second. "There we go..." Lennia said in a soothing voice as she reached up to massage the horse's forelock in a way she knew would soothe the mare. "See? I'm not so bad, right?" The mare snorted in reply as the teenager stood up. "I'm Lennia. What's your name?" At the horse's whinny of surprise, Lennia laughed. "You're right. I'm a bit different from other Hylians. So?" The horse chuffed again in response and Lennia smiled. "I'm not sure most Hylians could pronounce that. Would you mind if I called you 'Shirayuki'? It means 'White Snow'." The horse whinnied and nodded in agreement and Lennia laughed. "I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Shirayuki."

"Lennia!" Purah called, "For goodness sake's, child! We need to get to the Capital by nightfall!"

"Coming Auntie Purah!" Lennia replied, stroking Shirayuki's muzzle one last time. "I have to go, but I'll try to come see you before I return to Hateno." She turned to leave and quickly realized that Shirayuki was following her. "What are you...? Are you wanting to come with me?" She grinned as she heard the response.

ゼルダ

"I cannot believe you went and tamed _another_ horse!" Purah exclaimed in exasperation as the two of them finally entered the capital, Lennia riding astride on Shirayuki.

"I did _not_ tame her, I _befriended _her!" Lennia insisted, "There's a major difference."

Purah shook her head, still exasperated, "My research lab would be a stable by now with all of the horses that you 'befriend'. Fortunately, Hateno is _primarily _a farming village, so finding homes for them wasn't hard. But aren't you worried that Sappora will get jealous?"

"Not at all." Lennia replied, "Horses are social animals. That's why they live in herds. Sappora's actually been a little lonely since coming to the village and Shirayuki has been alone for a while. I'm sure they'll both be happy for the company."

"Mind what you say around here, Lennia." Purah remarked vaguely, but Lennia nodded in understanding. As they passed the town stables, a nearby supply shop caught the teenager's eye.

"Auntie Purah... would you mind going into that shop and purchasing a bridle for me? I don't really mind riding bareback, so a saddle can wait, but Shirayuki is nervous with all these people around. A bridle will make it easier to soothe her."

Purah sighed, "Very well. There'd be no point in sending _you_ into the shop. If she got out of control, I wouldn't be able to stop her."

"You _mean_ if she got spooked and panicked." Lennia corrected as she dismounted. She had always despised the terms used to describe most animal behavior, at least when it came to horses. To her, horses were practically people.

"Yes, yes." Purah sighed as she jumped down, "Keep an eye on Sappora too. Make sure some stranger doesn't walk off with her."

"Hmph." Lennia said as she cast a cheeky grin at Sappora, "Like you would ever be silly enough to follow if some random person just grabbed your reins." She cooed while scratching the underside of said horse's muzzle. "You'd give them what for, wouldn't you?" Sappora neighed in agreement and Lennia laughed before she turned her attention to soothing the tense Shirayuki.

"Wow! What beautiful horses!" A girl exclaimed, and Lennia looked over to see a young Zora girl and a teenaged Rito boy standing nearby.

"Oh, thank you." She said, feeling a bit awkward as she disliked speaking as though she owned either horse. In her mind, they were both free creatures who had chosen to stay by her side. However, having already been warned by Purah not to indicate that she could understand the two mares, she adopted a more common way of speaking. "They could both use a little grooming, especially Shirayuki, since we've just come from Hyrule Field."

The girl nodded, "Have you come to town for the celebration of Princess Zelda's birthday as well?"

"Yes, in fact, my guardian and I are on our way to the castle. We just stopped to get a bridle for Shirayuki. She's nervous because she's not used to towns like this."

"I shouldn't be surprised." The Rito boy said, "She must be wild since she has no saddle, even though your other horse does."

"Horses are no more wild than people." Lennia remarked, "They just don't understand our language, that's all." She suddenly realized her mistake and blushed a bit, "Ah, sorry. That probably sounded weird."

"Not at all. I can appreciate that you view them that way." The boy said, "We Rito have a closer connection with animals than most other races after all."

Lennia smiled a bit in relief, "Oh, I'm Lennia." She said.

"Pleased to meet you Lennia. I am Nualla, Princess of the Zora." The other girl said.

"And I'm Egon. My grandfather is the current elder of the Rito."

At that moment, Purah walked out of the shop, "Here we go, Lennia." She noticed the pair who were there, "Oh, you must be the Zora Princess and the representative from the Rito?"

"Yes ma'am." Nualla said politely, "And you are...?"

"Ah, this is Auntie Purah, my guardian." Lennia said, "She's been friends with the royal family for a long, long time."

"No need to make me sound old, Lennia!" Purah exclaimed in annoyance. When Lennia raised an eyebrow at her, she huffed. "Oh fine! So I maybe I _am _old."

Lennia coughed, wisely choosing to refrain from pointing out that "ancient" was a better word. "Really, Auntie Purah is the one who was invited. I'm just here because, well, apparently staying home by myself wasn't an option, and it's not like I wanted to anyway." She turned and finished fastening the new bridle on Shirayuki.

"Well then, why don't we go the rest of the way together?" Egon suggested.

"That sounds like a nice idea." Lennia said, "Princess Nualla, would you like to ride with me? It must be hard to keep up with Egon since he's so much taller."

"Yes, thank you, I would appreciate it." Nualla said with a nod, allowing Lennia to lift her up and place her on Shirayuki's back before she climbed on herself. "It's rather troublesome to be at the age where I'm a young lady, but haven't yet had my growth spurt."

"I can imagine." Lennia said with a nod as she guided Shirayuki toward the castle, "Hylians mature much faster than Zora, but our growth also occurs at a more consistent rate."

"If you don't mind my asking," Nualla began, "How did a Hylian like yourself come to be in the care of a member of the Sheikah?"

Lennia bit her lip as she pondered how to answer. She glanced at Purah, but the woman gave no indication that she intended to answer, so she spoke with some uncertainty, "From what I've been told... The Sheikah Tribe found me when I was a small child and took me in. I stuck out in Kakariko Village, which had the potential to draw the attention of the traitorous Yiga, so Auntie Purah took me to live with her in Hateno Village, where she has her research lab."

"Oh? What's it like in Hateno?" Nualla asked.

"It's beautiful, but... boring." Lennia said bluntly, "It's a farming village and hardly anybody has the inclination to explore the mountains surrounding the village."

"You know the kinds of dangers that exist in the wild, Lennia." Purah remarked, "For whatever reason, monsters won't enter the village."

"Yeah, I know..."

"Ah, Lady Purah! Oh! And Sir Egon and Princess Nualla as well!" A guard said as the three of them passed through the final gatehouse of the castle. He looked up at Lennia and his eyes widened in astonishment, "And this beautiful young lady must be Miss Lennia?"

"Yes, that's right." Purah said as she climbed off of Sappora, "Excuse her appearance. She does a better job of grooming horses than she does herself."

"Auntie Purah!" Lennia exclaimed, flushing with embarrassment.

"Nonsense, she looks radiant." The guard insisted as he helped Nualla off of Shirayuki. "I'll call for somebody to tend to your horses. Hey! Link! Get over here!"

"Coming!" A young man's voice called, and a moment later, a young man with light brown hair running up to the group. Upon seeing him, Shirayuki whinnied in alarm and reared back.

"Whoa, Shirayuki!" Lennia exclaimed as she just barely managed to stay on, "Easy!" The horse put her forelegs on the ground again and Lennia reached forward to stroke her gently, "Easy..." She crooned in a soothing voice. The boy was gaping at her.

"How... did you get that horse to let you ride her?" He asked in astonishment. Shirayuki chuffed and Lennia soothed her again.

"Shh..." She cooed before glaring at the boy, "Well for one thing, I didn't just sneak up behind her and jump on like you did. Honestly, why does _anybody _think that that's a good way to earn a horse's trust? How would _you_ feel if somebody did that to you?"

The boy laughed nervously as Lennia slipped off of Shirayuki and walked in front of her to massage her forelock. Suddenly, he blinked, "Wait, how did you know that I did that?"

The teenaged girl managed to restrain her urge to smack her forehead upon realizing her slip of the tongue and instead managed, "Well, that's what people normally do, right? And from the way she reacted upon seeing you, she must've recognized you."

"Good point."

"This is Link, our top stablehand." The guard explained. "He has a way with horses."

Lennia snorted at that. "Could've fooled me." Link glared at her back as she fed both horses a bit of sugar.

Suddenly, a woman cleared her throat and they all noticed two maids standing there, "Lady Purah, Sir Egon, Princess Nualla, Miss Lennia, if you'll please come with us, we'll show you to your rooms."

"Go on ahead without me, Auntie." Lennia said, "I need to cool down Shirayuki and groom her first. There's no way she'll allow this _boy_ to do it."

"_Excuse_ me?" Link asked incredulously.

Purah sighed, "Fine. But don't take too long. You need to clean _yourself_ up for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah." Lennia said as she followed Link to the stables while leading both horses. She stopped after a few moments and raised a brow at the maid who was trailing behind her, "Uh, why are you following me?"

"Pardon me, Miss Lennia." The maid said demurely, "It's just that you will still need me to show you to your room once you have seen to your horse."

"Oh, good point." Lennia said with a nod.

"I'm amazed you noticed her over the sound of the horses' hooves." Link remarked.

"I was raised by the Sheikah. I've been taught to notice when somebody is following me."

"Fair enough." Link admitted before turning around and holding out his hand toward Sappora, "Will this one at least let me groom her? There's no way you have time to groom both of them, and besides, you can't cool both down at once."

"Sappora is more used to being tended to by other people than Shirayuki, so she'll be fine, as long as you're good to her."

"Of course." Link said as he took Sappora's reins.

"I assume the castle has a blacksmith, right?" Lennia said as she began the process of rubbing Shirayuki down to cool her off. "Shirayuki needs to be shod." At the slight whiny of alarm from said horse, Lennia looked at her firmly. "Don't be like that. It will protect your hooves and keep them healthy."

"Yeah, but will the blacksmith be able to get near her?" Link asked, "She's pretty skittish."

Lennia rolled her eyes, "Just make sure Sappora is there when he does it. She'll be able to keep her calm."

ゼルダ

"Miss Lennia, please, we really need to proceed to your room." The maid pleaded nearly an hour later.

"Just one more moment." Lennia told her as she gently stroked Shirayuki with a curry comb. "There. Now you look as beautiful as fresh snow." She cooed to the horse.

Link chuckled. "I can't say the same for _you_." He remarked to Lennia, "You look like you've been sleeping in the barn." Lennia growled quietly in annoyance. She picked up the bucket of soapy water she had used to bathe Shirayuki and threw it on the teenaged boy.

"Aah! Hey!" Link cried in protest.

"Hmph!" Lennia said as she turned on her heel and walked over to the maid. "Shirayuki isn't used to being cooped up, so just let her stay out in the paddock, but Sappora will want to come in once the sun sets." She instructed without looking back.

"This way, my lady." The maid said as she led Lennia away.

"Psh. If that girl's a lady, then I'm a sheep." Link muttered with a roll of his eyes.

* * *

This is another random story idea that hit me out of nowhere. Breath of the Wild is quite literally the only Zelda game I've ever played, so I've been having a friend who is a Zelda expert help me out.


	2. Chapter 2

After a much needed bath, the maid helped Lennia into a silk dress of a deep berry color. It was knee-length, with straps that hung off her shoulders. There was also a pair of white stockings, and a pair of matching shoes, along with a choker. Lennia couldn't remember having ever worn something so fine.

"Er, I know I'm staying here in the castle, but wouldn't my normal clothing have sufficed?" She asked nervously.

"You'll be joining the other guests for a dinner party tonight in the banquet hall." The maid explained as she rebraided Lennia's long, thick hair. "More formal attire is required."

"A dinner party?" Lennia asked nervously, "But I'm only here because of Auntie Purah. I don't really think that I should be—"

"Nonsense, my lady. You are one of the most important people in attendance." The maid assured her. "Naturally, Lady Purah would've been invited either way, but you are not here tonight simply because you are her charge."

"Huh? Then why _am _I here?" She wanted to know.

"I'm afraid I can't say." The maid replied, "I wasn't told anything more than that." She finished braiding Lennia's hair and gestured to her.

"Please, come with me."

Lennia sighed nervously and followed the maid through the halls of the castle. She couldn't help but feel an odd sense of deja vu, as if she had been there before. Maybe she had come with Purah as a small child. She shook her head to clear it as the doors to the banquet hall were opened.

"Announcing the arrival of Lady Lennia!" A guard called as Lennia strode into the room.

A few of the guests looked at her with varying expressions before returning to their conversations, but Nualla and Egon walked over to the teenaged girl.

"Who is that girl?" A noblewoman whispered.

"I think she's Lady Purah's assistant or something from Hateno." A man replied.

"You look lovely tonight, Lennia." Nualla said with a smile, pulling Lennia from the words being whispered about her.

"Thank you, Nualla." Lennia replied, smiling back, "You both look quite sophisticated yourselves."

"Who does she think she is, addressing the Zora Princess with such familiarity?" A noblewoman sniffed. Lennia sighed.

"Don't let them bother you." Egon said gently. "I doubt they even know what the world looks like beyond the city walls."

Lennia laughed softly.

"Why don't we show you around?" The Rito boy offered. "This room is really more of a waiting area for socializing before the banquet, but there are several royal paintings here that you might enjoy viewing."

"Oh, yes, thank you." Lennia said with a nod before following the two of them.

ゼルダ

"...And this portrait was painted after the Calamity was sealed away." Nualla commented a while later. "It features those who assisted King Link in freeing the Divine Beasts, including my father, King Sidon, although he was only a prince at the time."

"Ehh..." Lennia said in amazement before looking around. "Hey... I'm curious... why aren't there any portraits of the royal family from before the queen passed away? There are portraits of Princess Zelda and the King, and of the King and Queen together, but there aren't any of all three of them."

"What a clueless girl, asking such a question!" A woman sniffed.

"Now, now." Said the gentleman she was speaking with, "She's probably just too young to know."

Lennia's face scrunched up in confusion and she turned to Nualla, knowing that despite her appearance, the Zora Princess was several years older than her. "Do you know what they're talking about?"

Nualla looked away, her expression unreadable, "Yes, but... it's kind of a taboo subject."

"Oh." Lennia sighed and walked to an open balcony in search of fresh air. Nualla and Egon exchanged concerned glances and followed her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't upset you, did I?" Nualla asked.

"No, it's not you." Lennia assured her before sighing as she looked at the night sky. "It's just... I can't help but feel like I don't belong in this world... I'm sure it sounds ironic, but I can't help but think poorly of some of the guests. I walk in the room, and they immediately start gossiping about me and looking down on me because I'm not of noble blood. They don't even stop to think that the great King Link was also a commoner at birth, and that he was childhood friends with your aunt, the Princess Mipha."

"Perhaps they're the ones who don't belong here." Egon suggested, "It seems to me like you're the one who's truly noble, not to mention that you have better manners than they do."

"I think Egon is right." Nualla agreed. "They embarrass themselves by acting so rudely, and thinking that it's fine because you're not one of them. You understand how nobility should truly act."

"Thanks you guys." Lennia said with a soft smile.

"Dinner is served." A butler called.

Lennia turned at the sound of the voice and followed the others into the banquet hall. She froze at the entrance, feeling entirely unsure of where she should sit. The butler apparently noticed her discomfort, because he said, "Ah, allow me to show you to your seat, Miss Lennia."

Lennia nodded and followed, but felt immediately confused when the butler pulled out a chair near the head of the table, one that would essentially seat her at the king's left-hand side. "Here? Are you sure?"

"Yes milady." The butler assured her, "The king was very specific."

"Very well then..." Lennia said, carefully smoothing her skirt so that it wouldn't bunch up as she sat down in the chair. She picked up her napkin and immediately spread it on her lap. She purposely ignored the mumbling going on around her, several of the nobles feeling slighted by the seat of honor that had been given to her, not that she could entirely blame them. With that said, she felt greatly relieved that Nualla and Egon were the ones seated closest to her on her side of the table, while Purah and Impa, the current head of the Sheikah, sat across from them. A noblewoman cleared her throat as she took note of the still empty seats at the head of the table.

"Pardon my asking, Lady Impa, but where are the king and Princess Zelda?" The woman asked.

"Ah, yes." Impa said as if she was just now remembering, "The king asked that you all forgive their absence tonight. He wanted to spend some time alone tonight with his daughter. I think the arrival of tomorrow's ceremony has him feeling rather sentimental."

Lennia tilted her head. All of the nobility believed Impa's story and merely chuckled to themselves, but having been raised by the Sheikah, Lennia knew that her aunt was lying, in which case, what was the real reason that the king and princess had failed to attend the banquet? She must have looked worried, because Impa looked over at her and smiled reassuringly, as if to say there was no need for her to worry and that everything was fine.

ゼルダ

After their meal, Lennia walked through the halls of the castle, her brow furrowed in thought. Ever since arriving at the dinner, or even since she'd set foot in the hallway, something had felt very, very _off_. The seat of honor she'd been given during dinner... the king and princess' absence during said meal... the complete lack of portraits of the entire royal family... the taboo reason for it that Nualla would not explain... the nagging feeling that she had _been_ here before, although at least that last one could simply be a matter of an earlier visit with Purah that she had simply forgotten. By birth, Lennia was not a Sheikah, but she had been raised by one and trained as one, and every inch of her was screaming that something was not right. Impa, Purah, and probably every Sheikah secretly guarding the palace had put an abnormal amount of precautions in place, but they wouldn't tell her _anything_. Just what was going on here?

Suddenly she came to a halt and looked around, realizing that she had no idea where she was. For some reason, she was staying in a different part of the castle than Purah was and, in her musings, hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. Where exactly was she, and how did she get back to her room from here?

The sound of a girl humming a gentle tune caught Lennia's attention, and she looked around, realizing that it was coming from a nearby room. "That song..." She said thoughtfully, frowning at the familiar tune as she walked over to the door and knocked on it. "Um, hello?" The teenaged girl was rightfully surprised when the door to the room opened to reveal none other than Princess Zelda herself. "Oh! Your highness! Please pardon my rudeness!" She exclaimed.

"No, it's all right." The princess said, "You didn't mean any harm."

"Ahem, uh, please allow me to introduce myself." Lennia began before dipping into a curtsy, "I am Lennia of Hateno Village."

"Ah, I see. You're Doctor Purah's assistant, right?" Zelda asked with a soft smile.

"Ah-Ha... actually, I'm more like her ward..." Lennia replied awkwardly, "The Sheikah Clan took me in after I was orphaned as a child, but... I kind of stuck out in Kakoriko, which was less than ideal, so I was sent to live with her in Hateno. So she's... well, I guess you could say she's like my aunt or my grandmother." _'Or my great-great-great-grandmother.' _She added in her head.

"Oh, I see. Please pardon my mixup. I'm afraid I wasn't really told very much about you." Zelda replied.

"No, that's okay." Lennia replied, "But, well, maybe you do know this: I'm... kind of lost. Do you have any idea where my room is?"

"Oh! Certainly!" Zelda said with a smile, "It's the one right next door to mine."

Lennia blanched, _'I was dragged all the way out here for a royal occasion, given a seat of honor at the banquet, and now my room is **right next **to Princess Zelda's?! What is going on, Purah? What are you hiding from me?' _Suddenly her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Oh, that's right! Please wait here for a moment, your highness!" She darted into the room Zelda had pointed out to her and reappeared moments later with the flowers she had picked earlier that day. "I know it's a day early, but... Happy Birthday, your highness. I gathered these for you in Hyrule Field earlier today. I know perhaps they're a rather plain gift, but... I thought it would be nicer to bring something that can't be bought in a store."

"Oh how beautiful!" Zelda exclaimed as she accepted the flowers and inhaled their scent deeply. "I've never seen Silent Princesses in person before!"

"You haven't?" Lennia asked in surprise, and Zelda shook her head.

"No. To be truthful, tomorrow's ceremony at the Temple of Time will be the first time I've ever been outside the castle." She admitted.

"Wow, really?" Lennia asked. "I know this castle is pretty big, but... to spend your entire life in only one place? I can't even imagine how boring that would be."

"The world beyond the castle is quite dangerous, and frankly, I'm afraid of leaving, but... I do admit that I wish I knew more about my kingdom." Zelda said before her eyes suddenly sparked with interest. "I know! Since our rooms are next to one another, why don't you come into mine and tell me what the world is like?"

"I'm afraid I haven't seen all that much of it myself." Lennia admitted.

"That's all right! It's more than I've seen!"

Lennia chuckled. "Well all right. Just give me a moment to change into my night clothes."

"Of course." Zelda said with a nod.

The two teens laughed and chatted together for quite a while as Lennia regaled the princess with stories of her childhood in Purah's laboratory.

"It seems like there's never a dull moment out there." Zelda remarked.

"Well, it's getting less dull, at least..." Lennia said thoughtfully as her gaze drifted toward the nearby window.

ゼルダ

A figure slipped silently through the shadows of the night, approaching the curtained bed of Princess Zelda. However, when silent intruder pulled back the curtains, the bed was empty. A moment later, the intruder's arm was restrained and a blade was against his neck.

"Don't move." Lennia warned.

"Wh-what?!" The surprised Yiga assailant managed, "But this is Princess Zelda's room."

Lennia smirked. "Funny thing, that. I had just the strangest feeling that _somebody_ might try to pull something tonight, so I suggested to her that we switch rooms."

The Yiga looked at the blade to his throat, obviously frightened when he saw that it was a Sheikah weapon, but perhaps even more frightened by the pale, petite hand that held it. "Wh-Who are you?"

Lennia frowned. "That is none of your concern." Before he could reply, she squeezed a pressure point on the back of his neck and he fell unconscious. Lennia dragged him over to the door and opened it, letting out a soft whistle as a signal to the Sheikah on duty. Two of them dropped before her, their eyes widening as they saw who it was.

"Lennia?!" One of them exclaimed, "But this is Princess Zelda's room!"

"I'm aware of that." Lennia said bluntly. "But I caught sight of this creep skulking around the castle walls earlier and suggested to Zelda that we should switch rooms for the night." At this, she dumped the assailant at the pairs' feet. "Naturally, I didn't tell her that I had actually _seen _somebody. Stopping him before he ever got to her room should've been the _Sheikah's _job." Both of them knelt before her and bowed their heads immediately.

"Our deepest apologies. Please excuse our incompetence." The second of the two said.

Lennia raised a brow, "What the heck are you bowing to _me_ for? I may have been raised by Purah, but I'm of no higher rank than you are. If anything, you should be taking your apologies to the king and Aunt Impa. And take the traitor while you're at it."

"Er, yes, of course..." The first one said as he stood up and began to restrain the Yiga in case he should awaken.

"By the way, Lennia, do you have any idea what this traitor was attempting to do?" The second of the pair asked.

Lennia crossed her arms and cast a scrutinizing look at the unconscious intruder. "He's carrying a duplex bow, some arrows, and a rope, but I don't see any other weapons on him. If he wanted to assassinate her, an arrow through the window would've been sufficient. That he took the trouble of sneaking in without some kind of blade on hand suggests that he was intending to kidnap her. I can't be certain of his purpose for doing so, however."

"No, the insight you've offered is more than sufficient." The female Sheikah said, "We will report to Lady Impa right away." In a puff of smoke, they disappeared, along with the assailant, and Lennia sighed before going back into the room to go back to sleep. "And people wonder why I sleep with a dagger strapped to my thigh..." She muttered as she put her blade away.

* * *

Okay, I'm gonna call this good enough for now, just because I've been wanting to go ahead and post a second chapter of this. The first chapter was just kind of an introduction that only shows Lennia's personality for the most part.


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning Princess Zel- Miss Lennia?!" A maid exclaimed as she realized that the wrong teenager was sleeping in the bed.

Lennia groaned and sat up, "Well that's a fine wakeup call..." She muttered as she ran her fingers through her disheveled bangs.

"Wh-why... why are you in Princess Zelda's bed?!" The maid asked in alarm, "And where is Princess Zelda?!"

"In my room next door." Lennia replied as she slipped out of the bed. "We switched places last night to thwart any attempts by the enemy."

"I-I see..." The maid replied as her eyes drifted to the dagger strapped to Lennia's thigh

Lennia ignored the maid's flabbergasted expression as she walked past her to her own room and knocked on the door. "Zelda? Are you awake?"

"Yes, come on in, Lennia." Came the answer from the other side. Lennia calmly turned the handle and entered the room to find Zelda preparing to get up from the bed.

"I think we've given your maid a heart attack." She joked, and Zelda smiled.

"I've never done something like switching places before." She said, and Lennia snorted.

"Yeah well, it didn't exactly take long for us to be found out. It's not as if we look alike."

"True." Zelda admitted as she stood up. "Well then, I'm going to get dressed for the day. See you in a few minutes, Lennia."

"Yeah." Lennia said with a nod as her own maid came to help her dress.

"You have such lovely hair, Miss Lennia." The maid commented as she ran a brush through Lennia's thick, light brown locks.

"You think so?" Lennia asked, "I mean, I don't dislike it or anything, but it's so long that it's kind of troublesome, but Granny insists that I can't do more than trim it. I can't very well put it up in a bun like most women. I have so much of it!"

"Indeed. Your hair is about the same length as Princess Zelda's, but its much thicker than hers."

"Brown hair tends to be thicker than blonde." Lennia said nonchalantly as the maid placed a necklace around her neck. "Is all of this really necessary?"

"Of course." The maid insisted, "You don't want the other guests to think poorly of you, do you?"

"I don't think fancy clothes are going to help with that." The teen answered, standing up after a light green rose hair ornament had been clipped to the side of her head. She sighed and entered the hallway and then blinked when she saw the princess. "Whoa!" She exclaimed, taking in the other girl's outfit. "All of that, just for breakfast?" Zelda was wearing a long green gown topped with a red overcoat and a golden coronet accented with emeralds upon her head.

"Believe it or not, this is one of my simpler outfits." Zelda said with a smile before taking in her friend's appearance. "You look quite lovely by the way."

Lennia smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, but I'm not used to all of this finery. It doesn't quite... feel like me. Like, I'm actually afraid to get dirty in this and not being able to get dirty feels... very restrictive." Zelda laughed at this and Lennia grinned. "Besides, any guy with a brain would pick you over me. Happy birthday by the way."

"Thank you." Zelda said as Impa suddenly appeared.

"Princess Zelda, your father wishes to speak with you before breakfast." She said as she kneeled before them before turning her gaze to Lennia, "And in the meantime, I need to speak with you."

"Is something wrong?" Zelda asked, feeling that Impa was even more serious than usual as she spoke to the other girl.

Lennia shook her head in order to ease the princess' concerns, "Don't worry about it. It's just family stuff, I'm sure."

"...All right..." Zelda relented. "I'll see you at breakfast, Lennia."

Impa moved to stand beside Lennia as she watched Zelda leave. "If you're going to switch places with the princess to protect her from danger, you should at least inform somebody beforehand."

"If I had, it might've made it back to the intruder. That was my suspicion since he managed to even breach the palace walls." Lennia said calmly, "I don't mean to sound overly suspicious or paranoid, but the Yiga are our brethren. We can never be entirely sure they don't have a spy within our midst."

Impa cast a sidelong glance at the uncharacteristically serious teenager and smiled a little. "You'll make a fine leader one day, Lennia."

"I doubt I'll ever be in such a position that I will lead anybody."

Impa smiled at her. "Happy seventeenth birthday, by the way."

"What? It's your birthday today?" Came the voice of Nualla, and Lennia and Impa turned to find the Zora princess standing there with Egon.

Lennia blushed a bit in embarrassment. "Yes, but I wasn't going to say anything. It would be... rather impudent to think of my birthday as of any importance compared to the princess'."

"Oh... so you're seventeen today too, huh?" Egon asked. "Kind of weird that you and Princess Zelda were born on the same day."

Lennia shrugged, "It's random, I suppose, but by no means unthinkable. Everybody shares a birthday with somebody. I just happen to share one with her highness, that's all."

Nualla frowned, as if she felt that _wasn't _all.

"Why are you always putting yourself down?" Egon asked, "We would've liked to know, at least."

"I know my place, Egon. I may seem like I don't, but I do." The Hylian answered.

"I hate to interrupt, but we'll be late for breakfast." Impa stated, "And that really would be rude. Come on."

"Oh, right." Lennia said as she hurried to follow the woman.

ゼルダ

"Your father isn't joining us for breakfast today either, your highness?" A noblewoman asked as those gathered for Zelda's birthday ate their morning meal.

"Apparently, he has matters to attend to before the ceremony. He sent his apologies." Zelda said with an awkward smile.

"Ah yes." A nobleman replied, "A princess' seventeenth birthday is a most auspicious occasion. Alas, if only..." He trailed off as both Impa and Purah cast him meaningful glares, causing Zelda and Lennia to look at one another with confusion.

"If only what?" Zelda prompted.

"Er, nothing..." The man replied awkwardly, "...I was just going to say that it is such as shame that your mother could not be here on this most wondrous day."

Lennia said nothing as she sipped from her goblet. She had the distinct feeling that the man was lying, but she didn't have the audacity to ask. Especially not since it seemed that whatever he had been about to say was something that Impa and Purah did not think should be discussed. "May I go to the stables after breakfast, Granny?" The teenager asked as she cut her omelette. "I want to groom Shirayuki before the ceremony, and I doubt she is going to allow that stable hand near her with a curry comb."

Purah sighed in exasperation, "Oh, very well, but don't take too long and do _try_ not to make a mess of yourself while you do it. Otherwise the maids will have to bathe you again, which will be quite troublesome."

"Yes Granny."

ゼルダ

Lennia hummed quietly to herself as she gently brushed Shirayuki with a curry comb, a light smile on her face. There was nothing that soothed the girl more than being with a horse, so she was, for most part, in her own little world.

"I think I've heard Princess Zelda humming that song before."

The teenager snapped out of her trance as she turned and looked at Link, who was standing there with a bucket full of wildflowers that he'd been made to fetch for her.

"Oh, have you?" She said absentmindedly as she returned to her horse, "It's probably a common tune then."

"Actually, she told me that only members of the royal family and those who are close with them know it." Link said bluntly before raising a brow. "Who exactly _are_ you?"

Lennia frowned at that question, but shook her head. "I was raised by Gr—er, Lady Purah. I probably just learned it from her." She insisted.

"Hm." Link shrugged to himself as Lennia took the bucket from him.

"Now then, Shirayuki, let's weave these into your tail and mane so that you look as pretty as you can for the procession today." She told the horse. When the horse whinnied at her, Zennia smiled and gently stroked her, "It'll be fine. I'll be gentle, I promise."

"You know, I didn't think much on it yesterday, but now that I'm seeing her in the sunlight with her coat all clean, I realize that your horse looks a lot like Princess Zelda's." Link remarked.

Lennia stopped what she was doing for a moment and looked at the boy, "She does? Do you think that's going to be a problem?"

Link grinned at her, "Nah, it should be fine. The Princess' horse is so gentle that even _she _can ride him. No amount of grooming is going to make people think this horse is like _that._"

"There's nothing wrong with Shirayuki!"

"What do you mean that even _I_ can ride him?"

Zelda's voice came at the same time as Lennia's, and the latter blinked in surprise, having not noticed the other girl approach. The blonde-haired princess was glaring at Link with a hint of annoyance.

Link smiled awkwardly at the princess and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I mean, you're kind of scared of horses, so..."

"I am _not_ scared of horses." Zelda insisted, "It's just that... they are very large and I've not had much experience with them, that's all. It isn't _my _fault that I'm not allowed to leave the palace grounds."

"Which is why, if you didn't have a very gentle horse, I would never have managed to teach you how to ride for the procession today, your highness." Link pointed out.

"_You_ taught her how to ride?" Lennia asked incredulously.

"Link's family owns the farm where my horse was raised." Zelda explained, "When Koori was brought here a year ago, Link came along to teach me how to ride."

"And since he was raised on my family's farm, the princess' horse is every bit as gentle as my Epona!" Link boasted.

"Ha, that's a laugh." The stable master said as he passed by with a crate of supplies, "Epona is only gentle when it's _you _handling her, Link."

At this, Link sweat-dropped while the two girls laughed.

"Anyway, what are you doing out here, Zelda?" Lennia asked as she returned to weaving flowers into Shirayuki's mane.

"Looking for you." Zelda said. "Impa told me that you needed to come inside to get ready, and that Father wanted to speak to both of us about something before we have to leave."

At this, Lennia huffed, "But I'm not even halfway done!" She looked at the bucket of flowers, and then at her horse, "Think you can deal with letting the savage finish in my place?"

"Hey!" Link protested.

Lennia ignored him, listening instead to her horse's response before laughing slightly. "You have my gratitude." She told Shirayuki as she reached into her pocket and offered the horse a sugar cube before holding the bucket of flowers out to Link, "Link, be nice to her."

"How about you be nice to me for once?" Link muttered in annoyance as he took the bucket and watched the pair of girls go. He yelped as Shirayuki used her nose to shove him into the mud. "Whoa!"

ゼルダ

Lennia was silent as she stared at herself in the mirror. What the _heck_ was she wearing? The outfit she'd been dressed in was pure white, with faint, white gold trim. A strapless top that left her mid-section bare, a white skirt that reached her knees in the back, but only made it to her mid-thighs in the front. Matching detached sleeves that were puffy like clouds. The wrappings around her feet couldn't even be counted as shoes. The whole outfit was light and airy, save for the white gold necklace on her neck, the intricate jewelry on her legs, and the golden coronet that held an emerald in the center and was adorned with a delicate glass lily.

Why in the _world _was she dressed like this?

As the maids pushed her out of the room, she met Zelda, who was wearing something similar. The skirt was more intricate and the top had gold, off-shoulder straps instead of sleeves, but the general look was the same. She was looking at Lennia with confusion that matched Lennia's own, but neither girl had a chance to question the other as they were led to where the King was waiting.

When they arrived in the throne room, Lennia stood back as Zelda went over to greet her father. The King whispered a few words to his daughter, and then Impa beckoned Lennia to approach the ruler of Hyrule. Lennia approached him with a hint of trepidation, but that was quickly lost when she saw the misty-eyed expression he held while gazing at her.

"Lennia..." The king said gently, reaching out to cup the girl's cheek.

The bewildered teen forgot all concerns of protocol as she stared at the king with confusion before shifting her gaze to Impa and Purah for help. "Your majesty..." She began nervously, "Auntie, what exactly is going—"

Lennia's question was cut off by the sound of a horn. She instantly recognized it as the type used to alert those in the castle to an emergency.

"Lady Impa!" Came the voice of a Sheikah Soldier who suddenly jumped to the floor of the throne room with his partner and kneeled before the group.

"Report." Impa ordered briskly.

"A legion of Yiga traitors have begun to invade the castle, and a horde of Ganondorf's minions have gathered at the walls to the town!" The soldier replied.

"Blast! They are trying to ruin things at the last second!" The king exclaimed.

"That may be, but we have a chance now that we would've lost if not for Lennia's foresight." Purah told him before turning her attention to her young charge. "Listen to me, Lennia. You must make haste. Take Princess Zelda to the Temple of Time to perform the ceremony that will bring protection to our land. Move swiftly."

"I understand." Lennia said.

"But what about an escort?" Zelda asked anxiously.

"There's no time." Lennia told her, "It would slow us down and we'll be more likely to escape without one. Does anyone have a sword that I can borrow?"

"Take mine." One of the soldiers quickly held his sword out to Lennia, who accepted it with a nod before gently grasping Zelda's wrist. "Come, quickly Zelda! We must make haste for the stables!"

"Dressed like this?!" Zelda exclaimed.

"We've no other choice!" Lennia insisted, although she shared Zelda's sentiment that their current attire was far from convenient. She pulled Zelda into the hallway and began to run.

"Lennia! What's going on?!" Egon asked as he came running up with Nualla.

"We're under attack! Ganon's forces want to stop the ceremony from taking place!" Lennia explained. "I've been tasked with escorting the princess to the temple to perform it with or without an audience. Will you guys help me?"

"You can count us!" Nualla said with a nod.

Lennia led the group out into a sheltered corridor that overlooked the inner parts of the castle walls before she stopped and looked around. "We need a way down." She said.

"Huh? From this height? How?" Zelda asked, watching in bewilderment as Lennia slashed a tapestry with the sword she'd borrowed and quickly tied both ends into surgical knots.

"Sail cloth." She said as she held the sliced tapestry up in explanations.

"...You're... joking, right?" Zelda said in befuddlement.

"Do I look like I'm joking?!" Lennia asked as she sliced another strip of fabric from the tapestry and had Nualla help her wrap it around both Zelda and herself. "Egon, help us up onto the ledge."

"Are you sure about this?" Egon asked with concern as he helped Lennia climb onto the ledge with Zelda clinging to her for dear life.

"No, but I don't think you can carry us both and I doubt that Zelda could hold onto your ankles. You take Nualla."

"Uh, wait, can't we talk about—"

"Down we go!" Lennia exclaimed, cutting Zelda off as she jumped off of the ledge with the makeshift sail cloth stretched out. Zelda screamed out of instinct, but to the relief of both girls, the cloth caught the wind and slowed their descent, allowing Lennia to guide their descent toward the stable. She ignored the brief flash in her mind of two little girls doing the same thing, one with a bright smile and the other with a look of terror as several Sheikah tried to stop them.

"Have you done this before?" Zelda asked, clinging to Lennia despite being tied securely to her.

"Have I..." Lennia blinked and realized that Zelda was referring to parasailing in general. "Oh, of course! I was raised by the Sheikah, remember? How could I have not learned how to parasail?" She grinned briefly as she remembered days spent jumping off of cliffs with a Cuckoo in her hands as Purah exasperatedly chased after her. She shook her head and focused on the present, landing inside the paddock as Link came running out.

"What's going on?!" He asked in alarm as Lennia abruptly threw her sail cloth onto Shirayuki's back and began untying the cloth that held Zelda to her.

"Invasion. Ganon's forces. I need to take Zelda to the temple. Help me get her onto Shirayuki."

Link nodded and before Zelda could say a thing, he lifted her up by the waist and sat her onto the pristine horse.

"We're riding bareback?!" Zelda exclaimed in alarm.

"No time to get her used to a saddle!" Lennia said as she jumped onto Shirayuki, somehow managing to keep her skirt from revealing anything as she did.

"You'll need help." Link said. "If you've got the princess, it'll be harder for you to fight on horseback."

"Point taken, but hurry." Lennia said before giving a sharp whistle, causing Sappora to trot over with a whinny as Egon and Nualla landed, "You guys take Sappora. She's fast, but she's more used to people than Shirayuki, and horses adapt faster to Rito and Zora anyway."

"Right." Egon said with a nod, helping Nualla onto the palomino before climbing on himself.

"Fortunately, I already had Epona saddled." Link said as he rode over on his dark brown horse. Lennia raised a brow at that, but chose not to comment on it.

"Let's go everyone!" The teenaged girl commanded as she spurred her horse on.

* * *

Finally got this chapter done. I am super excited for the Hyrule Warriors game coming out in November!


End file.
